On May 2, playing minus two senior starters, Newport fought off the canvass of a 3-0 first-inning hole and rallied to an 11-7 win over Lancaster Country Day.

The win, which halted a mystifying eight-game losing skid, improved the Buffaloes' record to 2-9 overall.

"It was great to get that win," said Newport coach Steve Zeiders. "Hopefully, it will give us some momentum (going forward)."

Earlier in the week, Newport had kicked away a two-run lead at West Shore Christian by surrendering a four-run fifth that was fueled by an infield error.

The defensive lapses -- the Buffaloes committed four in all -- wasted another decent outing by starter Josh Kline.

The freshman right-hander gave up an earned run on a walk and two singles in the first. An outfield error cost Kline a run in the fourth, but he took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

A leadoff single and third baseman Caleb McNeillie's error opened the door for West Shore Christian. Kline gave up another single that scored the first run, but got two outs, before issuing a walk that loaded the bases.

West Shore's No. 9 hitter then lined a ball down the right-field line. Marcus Jones raced to the ball and laid out, but couldn't make the catch. It went for a three-run triple that put the Buffaloes in a hole they couldn't dig out of.

"Most right fielders wouldn't have even gotten to that ball. Marcus just missed it," Zeiders said. "But, we wouldn't have been in that situation if we make the play (earlier in the inning).

"Josh wasn't as sharp as he's been, but he definitely pitched well enough to win."

LCD, who had hung a painful 6-5 loss on Newport the first time around, jumped out to a 3-0 lead on sophomore starter Michael Wright, who was making his first varsity start.

Wright, gave up a single, a walk and single to open the first, then settled in retiring 15 of the next 19 batters he faced, including four by strikeout. Wright's center fielder CJ Frank helped him out in the second by turning an inning-ending 8-4 double play in the second. Wright also got out of a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fifth with a pop to the mound.

Zeiders' reconfigured lineup gave Wright a 10-3 fifth-inning lead with solo runs in the first and third, four in the fourth and a five-spot in the fifth. He got contributions from every spot in the batting order -- especially Adam Flanders and Jones.

Flanders, who hit out of the third spot, reached base four times, scored twice and drilled two-run doubles in the fourth and fifth innings.

"Adam was supposed to pitch, but our freshman catcher was on a class trip so Adam went behind the plate," Zeiders explained. "The kid does anything you ask of him. He did what we needed that night."

Jones went 3-for-3 with a triple, two runs and two RBI, major production to get from the No. 9 hitter.

"Marcus keeps working hard. He was due to have a game like that," Zeiders said. "He really helped win that game."

The Buffaloes also got solid contributions from leadoff hitter Mason Arbogast, who scored five runs in the two games, including three against LCD, and Dakota Ebersole, who filled in left and went 1-for-3 with two runs. Zak Muffett, up from the JVs for the game, had a run-scoring pinch-hit single in the five-run fifth.

LCD, helped by a pair of Buffalo infield errors, cut its deficit to 10-7 with a four-run sixth, but Wright retired the Chargers in the seventh to lock down his first career win.

"I was very happy to get a complete game out of Michael. He's been solid pitching for the JVs," Zeiders said. "He had two bad innings, but he battled.

"After they scored (four runs) in the sixth, I sent him back out there and he finished strong."